My Daily Pause

Jesus took Simon the Pharisee to school. (Luke 6:36-50) I wonder if Simon really fully understood what happened in his own house.

Making judgments is a daily requirement to avoid sinful situations, but we have to be careful whose standard we judge by.

• When the sinful woman came in, Simon saw a lost cause – Jesus saw a precious soul (Luke 7:39)
• Simon felt superior to Jesus – Jesus was the master teacher (Luke 7:40)
• Simon slighted Jesus a common courtesy – Jesus responded to the love of a sinner (Luke 7:44-46)
• Simon remained judgmental – Jesus passed the final judgment (Luke 7:48-49)

The passages that warn us about judging others (Matthew 7:1, Luke 6:37) are among the most misused in the Bible. Most people quote those verses as a way to avoid having their sins pointed out to them. If they were to keep reading, they would see that it is a warning against unrighteous judgment. We are to be careful of the measuring stick we hold up to others, we might just have that same ruler used against us!

Simon illustrates that perfectly for us. He thought he was sizing Jesus up to pass judgment on his authenticity as a prophet. Instead, he found himself weight in the balance and left wanting.

Since Jesus recognized her love for him, we know the sinful woman went away living in obedience. At the end of the day, our love for the Christ is how we stay obedient. (John 14:15)

…and those who see themselves as superior to others? Let’s hope they see the danger before it’s too late.